Kindra here.
The day has come-we are leaving Mark and Tina and their home in Ireland tomorrow, heading towards the open road and sightseeing for a week before arriving at our next hosts in Scotland. An Teach Lapa, as it happens, translates to 'The Poor House' in Gaelic, but don't worry-it was named that for the animals it used to host here.
What a time we have had here!! Out hosts have been absolutely wonderful, helping us find, buy, and insure a car to start with (no mean feat at all-we have all been trying to figure out how to get an American driver insured on an Irish car that will be driving around Europe for 6 months all week and only just found a solution today!), and giving us great advice on Ireland, along with keeping us fed, warm and happy.
It's sad thinking of leaving, as exciting as driving through Ireland does sound. We have had the most stable 'home' here that we have had since September, although we are trying to make our little Fiat more homey by homemade curtains etc. Tina's delightful lunch time conversations and witty jokes, along with Mark's wonderfully dry, British humor, will be undeniably missed. Not to mention the new foods we've encountered here!
Brown sauce, toasted bread with baked beans and Worchestershire sauce on top-delish! In fact, I've been so inspired by the new foods that I've decided to keep track of notable recipes from around the world and make a cookbook when we get back! Should be fun, and keep me off the streets anyway. We tried to go to a local pub to see live dancing and music, but of course the night we went they a had a DJ playing American music. =(
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| Our amazing hosts, Tina and Mark, in front of their property |
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| This beauty was right by the side of the road as we were driving through the Burren, a classic Irish tourist site |
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| On a walk to a local 'mountain' which to us=hill |
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| How much it costs to fill up our tank in Ireland. Yep. |
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| We've been playing 'Up the River Down the River' and loving it! |
Overall we have had a terrific time here, insane minute to minute changing weather notwithstanding, and are extremely grateful for alllllll of our hosts help since we have arrived! As we will be on the road, we will probably not have another post for over a week, until we arrive in Scotland. May the Fiat be with us.
Kinda- Love the idea of gathering recipes as you travel, but I suggest "edible" food doesn't begin until you hit the mainland. Baked beans and toast...really? What 'til you hit Paree! On another note, I like the sound of the card game you were playing with your last hosts. perhaps the book could include table games too!
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Austin/Kindra- Your Dad just passed this blog site to me. I understand that you are Ballymoney as I key this in. Ballymoney is the home of the Love family of which you can lay claim to being a member. Your 5thggfather father Love and Small are buried in the Ballymoney Old Graveyard #210/200 and 346. Plus if you drive up the Taughey Rd to where it intersects MacFin Rd. You will be riving/walking on the very ground that our Love ancestors lived, worked and played in the 1700's to 1870's when they migrated to the US. Marion Love a newly found cousin.
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